Wed, August 14th, 2019

An NBA-obsessed newsletter for the info-craved basketball mind. Did a friend forward you this newsletter? Sign yourself up here.

Written while listening to Lyrics Born's Callin' Out

Michael Porter Jr. leaked Adam Silver’s email. You won’t believe what happened next.

(Adam Silver returning our phone call)Here is a quick timeline of yesterday’s NBA news, with pictures for context/proof.Approximately 12:30 p.m.: Michael Porter Jr. uploads this picture to his Snapchat, effectively doxing Adam Silver: Approximately 7:35 p.m.: The Grip finds out that Michael Porter Jr. uploaded that picture to his Snapchat, effectively doxing Adam Silver.Precisely 7:37 p.m.: Adam Silver’s email signs up for The Grip. Approximately 7:41 p.m.: Deputy NBA commissioner Mark Tatum’s email -- or someone whose email is in the exact same format as Adam Silvers’ leaked email -- signs up for The Grip. We cannot -- and, quite honestly, will not -- confirm exactly how those events transpired, but you should know we also texted Silver (and accidentally used the past tense of ‘write’):And FaceTimed Silver:Adam, if you’re reading this: We’re sorry for the overzealous opportunism with which we approached your doxing, but we really appreciate you signing up.

Some under the radar offseason losers, in no particular order

9. Jae Crowder [MEM], traded for the fourth time

8. Grayson Allen [MEM], traded for the first of many times

7. James Dolan [HELL], an idiot

6. Dennis Schröder [OKC], left to die in Midwestern obscurity

5. Steven Adams [OKC], left to die in Midwestern obscurity

4. Danilo Gallinari [OKC], left to die in Midwestern obscurity

3. Andre Roberson [OKC], left to die in Midwestern obscurity

2. Chris Paul [OKC], left to die in Midwestern obscurity

1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander [OKC], left to die in Midwestern obscurity

Next year’s return games, ranked

7. Paul George in Oklahoma City, Dec. 22

6. Anthony Davis in New Orleans, Nov. 27

5. Kyrie Irving in Boston, Nov. 27

4. Mike Conley in Memphis, Nov. 15

3. Russell Westbrook in Oklahoma City, Jan. 9 

2. Kawhi Leonard in Toronto, Dec. 11

1. Isaiah Thomas in Denver, Nov. 26

[READ:

The games we can't wait to see in 2019-20

]

 Quick Hits 

• Alibaba co-founder Joseph Tsai has bought the second half of the Brooklyn Nets from Mikhail Prokhorov for $2.4 billion.

• The Clippers are close to hiring Ty Lue as Doc Rivers’ top assistant, which would be a reunion of those two positions in Boston. 

• The Pacers released their NBA schedule through a three-minute Netflix parody. The Raptors had a similar idea.

• [Peak offseason post] Lonzo Ball got a full sleeve tattoo featuring Barack Obama, Rosa Parks, MLK, Jackie Robinson, Malcolm X and Harriet Tubman. 

• Kyle Lowry is the latest to drop out of consideration for Team USA. The pool is down to two All-Stars from last season. 

 Concrete Reads 

• Seven fake lines from the NBA schedule that you can’t gamble on [The Ringer]

• Gregg Popovich: Colin Kaepernick did 'a very patriotic thing' [Sports Illustrated]

• A Boston quartet could take on the world [ESPN]

 Podcast Pick

Most exciting matchups of the 2019-20 NBA regular season [The Ringer]